I personally felt by the end of season 9 the ladies were really beginning to craft some severe looks. Don’t get me wrong it was a drastic change from the House of Mathu, which had to happen. No two artists paint the same, and no one wants to try and imitate another’s work.

So first of all, I have always been a massive fan of Mathu, especially his work on Rupaul over the years. They have crafted some magnificent art. I am also in no doubt that Raven is an extremely talent Makeup Artist. Unfortunately for him whether he did a good job or not initially he was going to be scrutinized.

But in life & especially in pop culture it is key to keep things fresh and current.

So I am a huge believer in change. Although it can be uncomfortable and come as a shock, change does allow things to grow and develop.

Below I have put some headshots of Ru's look each week. Numbered by Episode. So Ya'll can make up your own minds.

Starting with wigs. Definitely a big improvement since Season 9 in my opinion! More structured, more hold, better silhouettes. Dare I say it, Better quality wigs!

They have a very Delta Work “Look” about them, which sometimes I think is fabulous but I kinda wanna see something different. Each wig from this season seem to have a really harsh ridge from the wig line going into the style(pic attached). Which is something we have seen on Ru before in Mathu days. But usually mixed within other styling techniques along the way.

The wig in Episode 5 I hated! With a passion. The really heavy black root did nothing for Mother Ru!

But Episodes 2,3 & 8 I was blown away by.

The Makeup - Well I am sold. Box it, Bag it.. I'll take it.

Raven had a tough road to start on.

No.1 it being Rupaul!

No.2 Following from Mathu.

No.3 having very little practice/rehearsal time.

No.4 Knowing that whatever he did, was going to be heavily judged.

So this left season 9 being heavily filtered and severely lacking continuity & clarity.

I won’t lie. I didn’t like the change. I was praying to the gods of drag to compel Mathu to come back!

BUT I sit here now in the wake of All Stars Season 3 having finished, content in the new union of Rupaul & Raven.

Although we are still all unsure to exactly why Mathu disappeared and in some ways it is sad this union ended, I think the work that Raven is now doing on Ru feels very NOW. Its crafting out a fresher, almost rebranded Ru. There are elements of classic drag makeup mixed with current trends. Harsh raven contour lines but with a soft fading blend. The whole thing feels more Drag. The development from Season 9 to All Stars 3 is clear. The paint is strong!